Correlated inclusive /\bar production in e+e- annihilations at sqrt(s)~10.5 GeV

TL;DR

This study investigates correlations between Lambda and anti-Lambda particles in electron-positron collisions at 10.5 GeV, aiming to identify primary baryon production and baryon number conservation effects.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental search for primary Lambda-antiLambda correlations in e+e- annihilations at this energy, highlighting potential primary baryon production mechanisms.

Findings

Evidence suggests possible primary Lambda-antiLambda production.

Correlation signals are qualitatively consistent with primary production.

Results depend on Monte Carlo background subtraction methods.

Abstract

Using a 13.7/fb sample of continuum two-jet e+e- -> qqbar events collected with the CLEO detector, we have searched for correlations between / and /\bar particles, specifically in cases where the opening angle between the two particles is large and each has momentum $>$1 GeV/c. Such correlations may indicate the presence of baryon number conservation at the primary quark level. A previous CLEO study of /\c/\cbar correlations indicated direct, associated production of primary charmed baryons /\c: e+e- -> ccbar -> /\c/\cbar. That effect was not observed in Monte Carlo simulations. Our current search for similar direct, associated production of / baryons at the primary quark level (e+e- -> ssbar -> /\bar, e.g.) qualitatively indicates a similar effect, although it relies on a Monte Carlo dependent subtraction of background /\bar production (based on the default JETSET 7.4 event generator).